IUPUI Center for Earth and Environmental Science

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The Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve Ecological
Restoration Projects in a Rapidly Urbanizing
Watershed
Lenore P. Tedesco, Director
Center for Earth and Environmental Science 723
West Michigan Street, SL118Indianapolis, Indiana
46202 317.274.7154 www.cees.iupui.edu
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Wetland Ecological Functions

• Store flood waters and modulate streamflow
• Recharge groundwater
• Filter and help remove harmful contaminants and
  excess nutrients from water
• Trap and hold sediment
• Provide habitat for aquatic and terrestrial
  plants and animals

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Impervious Surfaces and Surface Runoff

• Impervious surfaces increase surface runoff and
  accompanying volumes of sediments, nutrients, and
  chemicals

US EPA, 2001
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Average Precipitation Runoff in Indiana
(1931-1980)
Runoff in inches
Precipitation in inches
Modified from Clark, 1980.
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Idealized Hydrograph
Storm Sewers with Impervious Surface
Storm Sewers with Natural Surface
Natural surface
Discharge
Lag time
Lag time
Lag time
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Ritchey Woods Study Site
Industrial Residential Cropland Forested
EPA, 1992
Land Use \ Land Cover
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Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve Project Overview

• Research on Ecological Restoration Strategies
• Restoration of 150 Acres of Former Agricultural
  Land with Native Ecological Communities
• Important Natural Area in a Rapidly Urbanizing
  Setting
• Large-scale, Long-term, Self-sustaining,
  Evolving Science/Research Experiments

6/2000
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What is Ecological Restoration?

• Ecological Restoration is the process of
  assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has
  been degraded, damaged, or destroyed
• (Society for Ecological Restoration, 2002)

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Ecological Restoration Strategy

• Investigate Reestablishment of Natural Hydrologic
  Settings as Ecosystem Restoration Tool
• Study the Establishment of Ecotones as Buffers
  around Existing Natural Areas
• Compare Ecosystem Evolution in Areas with Natural
  Recruitment vs. Planted Communities
• Investigate Use of Native Prairie Species to
  Influence the Successional Pathways in Former
  Agricultural Fields

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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
Natural Communities, 1999
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Site Restoration Projects

• Restore Naturalistic Hydrology to Depressional
  Wetland (1997 on going)
• Establish Ecotone Buffer Around Flatwoods (Fall,
  2000)
• Protect Beaver Created Riparian Wetlands (on
  going)
• Initiate Prairie Successional Community (Summer,
  2001)
• Create Wetland / Wet Prairie / Sedge Meadow
  Mosaic (Fall, 2002 Fall, 2003)

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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
Restored and Developing Natural Communities, 2001
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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
Restored and Developing Natural Communities, 2002
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• Northern Depressional Wetland (6/2001)

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• Southern Depressional Wetland (6/2001)

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6/2004
Flatwoods
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Riparian Wetland (10/2000)
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Riparian Wetland
6/2004
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Fen (5/2002)
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NRCS, 1956
Historic Land Use, Cheeney Creek Watershed
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USGS,2000
Land Use, Cheeney Creek Watershed
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Hamilton County NRCS, July 1941
1941 Air Photo
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Hamilton County NRCS, August 1956
1956 Air Photo
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Hamilton County NRCS, July 1962
1962 Air Photo
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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
2000 Air Photo
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NRCS, 2003
2003 Air Photo
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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
Increase in First Order Streams and Drainage Ways
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Retention Ponds
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Headwaters of Cheeney Creek
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• Incision on Hare Creek in Ritchey Woods Nature
  Preserve (6/2001)

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24 Tile Drain at Headwaters of Hare Creek
(10/2000)
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Metal Tile Drain Hare Creek
2000
6/2004
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Beaver Dam On Cheeney Creek Is Holding Base Level
(10/2000)
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Headward Erosion Hare Creek Tributaries (6/2004)
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Pair of 24 Tile Drains at Headwaters of Hare
Creek (7/2004)
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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
Location of Research Infrastructure
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Wet Prairie Mitigation Wetland Prehydrologic
Restoration (10/1998)
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Wet Prairie Mitigation Wetland Prehydrologic
Restoration (1999)
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• MW-2 Cut Tile
• Mitigation Wetland

MW-1 Functioning Tile Depressional Wetland
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Phase 1 Hydrologic Restoration (7/2000)
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Phase 1 Hydrologic Restoration, 2001
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Phase 2 Hydrologic Restoration Wetland
Development (6/2003)
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Continuing Wetland Development (6/2004)
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Flatwoods Ecotone Expansion

Derived from Historical Forest Composition
Studies Native to Central Indiana Till Plain
Forests

• Red Maple 100
• Swamp White Oak 200
• Sycamore 40
• Green Ash 100
• White Oak 130
• Bur Oak 130
• Pin Oak 500

7/2000)
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Prairie Successional Community
Planted 39 acres in native prairie grasses and
forbs

• Grasses
• Big Bluestem
• Little Bluestem
• Side-Oats Gramma
• Prairie Wild Rye
• Switchgrass

• Forbs
• Butterfly weed
• New England Aster
• Wild Senna
• Blue Vervain
• Purple Coneflower
• False Sunflower
• Marsh Blazingstar
• Hairy Beardtongue
• Yellow Coneflower
• Black-eyed Susan

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Mesic Prairie (7/2004)
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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000

• Emergent Wetland / Wet Prairie /Sedge Meadow
  Restoration (Spring, 2002)

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Site of Proposed Wetland Restoration Complex
(9/2002)
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10 Agricultural Tile Removed and Resultant
Ponding (9/2002)
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Surface Water Ponding Near Margin of Existing
Wetland (9/2002)
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Sedge Meadow/Wet Prairie Complex 7/2004
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Emergent Marsh (7/2004)
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Upland Prairie Wet Prairie Transition (7/2004)
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On-Going Restoration Challenges

• Continued Development on Southern Property
  Boundary
• Illegal Removal of Flatwoods Ecotone Boundary and
  Farmland Drainage into Wetland
• Loss of Beaver Dams on Cheeney Creek
• Flatwoods Drainage to Hare Creek

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Hamilton County GIS, March 2000

• Emergent Wetland / Wet Prairie /Sedge Meadow
  Restoration (Spring, 2002)

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Town of Fishers Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve
Development Strategies

• Develop a Watershed Management Plan
• Acquire Property Along Southern Boundary to
  Control Hare Creek Watershed
• Use Best Management Practices for Runoff
  Management
• Minimize Fragmentation of Nature Preserve Forest

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• Surface Flow to Ritchey Creek

Hamilton County GIS, March 2000
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What Are We Doing To Help?

• Research on Restoration Strategies
• Communication with Local Decision-makers
• Education to Students, Teachers and the Public
• Community Service Projects

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Educational Outreach
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How Can You Help?

• Work on community service projects to restore and
  improve natural areas
• Get involved the public debate about development,
  land use and environmental issues
• Support programs that address issues of smart
  growth and development

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Opportunities for Participation

• For More Information Contact
• Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco
• Center for Earth and Environmental Science
• 317.274.7154

ltedesco_at_iupui.edu
www.cees.iupui.edu
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